Monday, April 27, 2009

Why is the idea of changing the track at TalladegaSuperspeedway so absurd?

All day on Monday, a lot of the same people who said they would look at all options to make things as safe as they can be at Talladega were also saying that altering the configuration of the race track isn’t an option.

“It goes without mention that the most exciting races we have today are both at Daytona and Talladega,” Sprint Cup Series director John Darby in a NASCAR teleconference about Sunday’s last-lap wreck in the Aaron’s 499. “That’s a big part of our sport, and those two tracks have been a big part of our sport for many, many years. There’s more value in continuing our safety efforts at those tracks than turning those two very historical, very exciting race tracks into parking lots.”

“For some reason, there is always a temptation to sensationalize the wrecks at Daytona and Talladega way beyond what happens at Lowe’s Motor Speedway or Atlanta Motor Speedway or any of the other tracks that we race on,” Darby said.

Let me ask you something. How is it possible to “sensationalize” what happened Sunday?

A 3,400-pound car driven by Carl Edwards came frighteningly close to flying into an area where hundreds of people could have been killed.

Is that in any way an exaggeration of what happened? I don’t think so. Is it possible to overstate the potential harm something like that could do? I don’t know how you could.

Then Darby, a man I respect and like very much, turned into a good little NASCAR/International Speedway Corporation soldier. ISC owns Talladega. The Charlotte and Atlanta tracks are owned by Speedway Motorsports. His implication is that the media give Bruton Smith’s company a pass while picking on poor ol’ ISC and its two biggest tracks.

Well, while we’re on that subject, let me ask a question.

Why did nobody at NASCAR ever say reconfiguring Texas Motor Speedway wasn’t an option when the drivers were complaining about it in 1998? What actually happened was NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. came to Texas on the morning of the track’s second race and took up a spot in the garage area so reporters could come find him. He told them SMI had better fix the track or lose the one Cup date it had, let alone asking for a second.

Let me flatly say two things.

First, if SMI owned Talladega then NASCAR would have forced that company to plow it up and rebuild no later than 1987, when Bobby Allison crashed in almost exactly the same way Edwards did Sunday. There’s no chance NASCAR would have tried as many things to change the cars and the rules to continue racing at Talladega if its sister company didn’t own the joint.

Second, there’s no way anybody – ISC or SMI or anybody – builds a track today and makes it a 2.66-mile trioval with high-banked turns. The track is an anachronism.

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comments:

Hmmm, Anyone ever considered it just might not be the track at all?What you have are the greatest 43 drivers (haha) Easiest way to fix what some think of as a problem is to change drivers!!! remember the belts adjust!!! Will not cost the sponsors owners or racetracks a single penny! Problem solved now pay me my million

If you have to have spectacular crashes to enjoy a race, then you're not a fan of racing. You're a fan of crashing. What if Carl had been killed? Would that change you opinion? If fans had been killed, would anybody be comfortable saying to their families that it was "just one of them racin deals?" I think not. Think about this: If the 99 had cleared the fence and killed several spectators, there would likely be no race at Richmond and probably several more would be cancelled. The fall race at Talledega would surely be cancelled. I think David makes a good point with the ISC vs SMI issue. Let's make the racing competitive (i.e. fix the new car) and when there's competitive racing there won't be a need for crashes to make it exciting. I am a race fan, not a crash fan.

Guys, (& gals) I think sometimes people forget that racing, by its very nature is dangerous, whether its Cup, Indy cars, Bike, Legends or local dirt track. Racing will ALWAYS have an element of danger to it & I think thats one reason people like to watch it. There are drivers and fans injured or killed every year at race tracks and I don't think there is any way to eliminate that reality. There was a fan killed at a monster truck show a few weeks ago. When we all have to wear fire suits, helmets, Hans devices and sit 100 yards away behind bullet proof glass we may not want to go any more. I was at Bristol (remember that just a half mile short track) when a Craftsman truck got in the catch fence. I've seen all kinds of race cars at all kind of race tracks tear down the fence. We will see another car tear down another fence some day. The CATCH FENCE is called that for a reason. Sure beef up the fence, move the grand stand to the infield, move the fans back 20 rows, we don't need anyone hurt but we don't need to ruin one of the only tracks that actually has compelling racing. I can assure you no one wants to see a race on a 2.66 mile version of New Hampshire. If the fans or drivers don't like the risks of racing they don't have to show up.

Thank you Poole for an original idea. My first reaction at seeing Carl Edwards hit the fence is I hope no one dies. The NASCAR family is very luck that no spectators were killed or seriously hurt. If that would have happened, there would be no racing at Richmond this weekend or any weekend because the insurance companies would refuse to provide liability coverage or it would be too expensive. The Cup series or Nationwide may survive that, but the small local tracks would out of business. Blow up Talledega and Daytona! A one mile or less racetrack will draw just as many or more "fans" of racing instead of wrecking.

While nothing similar has happened so far, given the speed at Atlanta it would appear possible for a similar incident to happen there. It would appear that Edwards' car would not have gotten into the fence Sunday had it not hit Newman's car. So rather than focusing just on Talladega, it would seem much better to focus on the car aerodynamics and fan protection for races wherever to try to protect against injury wherever.

I will say this, getting rid of the restrictor plates will in no way make it safer for the fans. When you really think about, it probably prevented things from being worse then they were. Also a giant pack of cars can't be blamed considering it was well behind the wreck. There are really only two solutions that I can think of to prevent an accident like this from happening again. Get rid of the Yellow line rule which will probably cause even more problems or close Talledega Superspeedway which probably won't happen either.

Sometimes it is not the aerodynamics that make a car tumble. In 1996 Ricky Craven damaged a good portion of the fence in turn 1. Air did not lift his car off the ground. It was hit in such a way that sent it tumbling. Matt Kenseth wreck Saturday also proves that air is not the only thing that can make a car tumble. Forces involved will do it and this can happen at any track.

Here's an idea Poole - why don't y ou track down the fans who got hurt and ask them if they would come to the next race. No, you wouldn't do that because you won't get the answer you want. YOU are the only one outraged here.

for those who remember back in the 90's brett bodine was an advocate for taking the bansk out of daytona & talladega? guess who he now works for now? nascar. having stated that crashing is not racing & i for one am tired of listing to announcers who have become nascar stooges talking about the 'big one'. when team owners have to set aside extra money in there budget for a lost car at restrictor plate races something is wrong. nascar could take the banking out of both tracks shorten them up by 1/4 mile each so they will still be the longest ovals, reduce the engine size to 310 cubic inches & eliminate restrictor plates. but to be realistic carl edwards was probably right, unfortunately it will take a death for nascar to spend any money. they will still sell tickets. if nascar needs money then sell california speedway, as its a loser anyway, then they will have money to fix daytona & talladega.

Lower the banking to approx 20 degrees, double the width of the track by going "inside" the current lines....and most of all, build a "no man's" zone between the fence and the first rows of seats for extra space with a second "net" to catch debrie. then remove the restrictor plates and let them run. the lower banking and more power will separate the better cars and drivers and get rid of most of the four wide stuff....but drafting would still be a major part of the strategy. Danny Boy, Orlando Fl

One option that apparently isn't open is for NASCAR to listen to David Poole.And that I applaud.It's time for The Observer to consider a new writer for Nascar.This World already has enough bleeding heart liberals trying to tell people how to run their affairs.

Like Earnhardt said "thats racin". Deal with it. Get off the porch if you cant run with the big dogs.

In the ole days fans went to races to see good wrecks. Today they go to races to watch the competiton but a good wreck every now dont hurt and helps the sport and adds a little icing on the cake. Fans love it.

NASCAR just rose a notch ...

Sooner or later though a driver will die in a big one again. Take your hats off and salute these fallen heros. It goes with the turf.

Well several comments made by both Poole and fans are predictable, and some are very valid. It's predictable that a writer would write that things need to change. On one hand Dale Jr. is right: this has been going on for 20 years so why hasn't anyone written it should change last year? On the other hand Poole is correct when he says they have tried everything from spoilers to different plate sizes and it's all the same.

The catch fence did its job so what's the problem? But yet we see that again ISC gives the short shrift to fans. Could the fencing go higher? You bet. Could several seat rows be taken out? You bet. But this has always been about $$, about The Big Mo, not 'the Big One,' but the Big Mo. ISC is notorious for shall we say downsizing their CapEx. So higher fencing, hey like soft walls that were available before Dale Sr.'s death no matter what anyone says, could have been there but for less CapEx Mo from ISC.

So NASCAR designs cars now (CoT) and has been designing races at Talladega for 20 years or more. See where it's got them. And it's funny too. Drivers are like little rabbits out there, or monkeys. Monkey see monkey do. They bump their way to the front but ALL THAT BUMPING, while fun for fans, gets them nowhere. In this current configuration does anyone see a driver/bumper actually pull away from anyone for any period of time? Another Bumper/driver just comes along. I would say it's relevant at the end of the race but then again look what can happen. And hey, what is startling now is that you would NEVER see a guy bump in the turns, now with this Spoonge Bob Square Car, drivers can bump all the way around a corner...Cept it ain't an exact science. Sometimes drivers can't bump too well (I think David Regan fits this tag for the moment), and sometimes the Bumpee just doesn't have his BumpER just square and he can loose it. So the Bump Art like Clip Art needs some training...Maybe a Richard Petty School of Bumping might work.

The other thing is blocking. Well I am an old poop so blocking is what Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough did on the last lap of the 1979 Daytona 500. To me that's when it's only relevant, last lap or two. But that cat's out of the bag, but look where it's got us. The time for me when it cahnged was when Mike Skinner ran Tony Stewart way down the inside at Daytona I think in 2000 way way early in the race. No sense in that. But that cat's out of the bag...but look where it has us. To me all the fans and media were on Dale Jr. this past Daytona 500 for causing a wreck but I see it the opposite. There was no use for Brian Vickers to block that early in the race as bad as he did. But that cat is out of the bag and look where it has us.

I guess that leaves us with this: 1. ISC needs to get their head out of their butt and look for all things relevant to safety at Talladega (they say that "safety is job #1..." yadda yadda yadda. For NASCAR $ is job One.)

2. I like Carl Edwards ability, I really do. But if you block like that you are gonna pay the price. He did and he did. Brian Vickers did and he did. Along with a bunch of other good race cars. You see cars swerve from the top to the bottom in a flash. Call me stupid but at 195 MPH, that can't be really good. I think some guys have gotten by with it and they look like Superman.

3. Drivers ought to rethink bumping at the beginning of the race to go nowhere. I think the data ain't there yet as one might say. It's like a crap shoot. Some times you look brilliant and sometimes you look like a fool.

4. A long time ago they put unrestricted 302 cubic inch engines in the Cup cars at Daytona to reduce speeds. No one has talked about that for years...says it would be too expensive to run two motor development programs...Let's see have some ex-Wall Street physicist do an algorithm or two to see what the cost of losing race cars and drivers' points toward the Chase per year costs. Gotta be cheaper. I say put 300 CI engines in these things and let um rip...Ahhh, but then there would be only fifteen 3-car packs spread out over half the speedway. The excitement would be diminished and in fact the media would fall all over their keyboards writing what a "boring" race it was. Indeed.

5. I disagree with Jack Roush a bit. Daytona isn't a dinosaur. It has to be the bedrock of the sport. Talladega?...hmmm. it may be outdated but then again it may not.

6. And lastly but not leastly, what we have here is the makings of another set of rules from NASCAR. Oh, hey that ought to cure the problem! They are gonna be "more aggressive" in penalizing blocking. Oh that is Rocket Science sho nuff. What we need is another rule for drivers. Let's see NASCAR designs race tracks and shocks and gear ratios and oh CARS called CoT and they design the pre-race and the pit boxes and the...on and on. So now they are designing drivers, Cause they can't cuss in Victory Lane they can complain about the CoT or the rules or the...Well NASCAR might as well design drivers; tell them when to bump or not or swerve or not or block or not...Seems like to me plain ole self preservation and pure peer pressure will get these drivers to stop the blatant shenanigans. Brian Vickers blocking any more at Daytona or Talladega. Maybe he will get a clue. I bet Carl Edwards would rather lose a race than injure a fan so if he is in that situation again I bet he won't come down on anyone. And one last thought: spotters now have a greater say in that cockpit than to me they need to. I know I know the car now is hard to see in. But whatever happened to actually being "clear" of a car before you move up. Now that millisecond a spotter is off makes a big big difference.

Too long a post I know. But that 99 going into the catch fence does bring up a lot of unfinished bidness.

Mr. PooleGuess what kills 822 people each day and 300.000 people each year.OBESITY.I demand rule changes and reconfigurations on the way fat people eat.I know it's none of my business.But!I want to stick my nose in it anyway.I want to become a bleeding heart politically correct liberal and tell people how to run their affairs and their lives.Whats it gonna take.How many more fat people will have to die before all fast food restaraunts are closed down.When will this Country wake up and ban hot dogs????822 per day.300.000 per year.Stick to a cause your familiar with.

Some of the problems lies with the fence that seperates the fans from the track. The fence posts are too far apart plus the fence itself could be strenghted. Look at the fence post at LMS they are close together plus are filled with cement so its strong in the ground. Look at the setup at talladega look at how far apart the fence posts are from each other...

David, Texas was never reconfigured. All they did was add a little banking in the turns and redid underground to stop weepers from coming in as happened in 1998 qualifying. Texas is not that much better a racetrack now than it was then. Billy France's threat to pull the date after two seasons was a bluff and everyone knew it.

NASCAR didn't force any track outside of ISC to make the kind of changes you're implying, and there's no need for massive changes now. We get lulled to sleep on other tracks like Atlanta and Charlotte even though those places have periods of recent history when they were more lethal than Talladega ever was, notably the late 1990s at Atlanta and the last twenty years at Charlotte (remember Levigating and the all-time record for crashes in 2005? Remember the ten-plus car melees that almost always hit at Charlotte the last fifteen seasons, such as in 1997, '98, 2000, and 2002?) Darby has it right on this score.

They damned sure would build a 2.66 mile superoval like Talladega - the track is superior to anything else. There is always talk about tracks that need changes - tracks need to covert to Talladega style, not the other way around.

Michael W - here's why - Edwards helped cause the wreck by not holding his line after he saw he'd been outmaneuvered. Drivers are causing these wrecks; yes the yellow line rule needs to go but that's beyond just the issue of wrecks.

"What if Carl had been killed?" And if he'd been killed on an intermediate or at Richmond - a more likely scenario than getting killed at Talladega because they hit harder on the smaller tracks - what would you say then?

"If the 99 had cleared the fence and killed several spectators...." The IRL didn't stop in 1999; CART didn't stop in 1998; why would NASCAR have stopped? And you're forgetting the fencing is stronger now than it was in 1993 when Bonnett tore that section open.

The way to make the racing more competitive is with the plates - it can't be done without the plates. The ISC vs. SMI issue is a smokescreen.

Poole is right on when he says this is NASCAR/ISC issue. I am no fan of Bruton Smith, but NASCAR would not put up with this crap from a SMI track for a minute.

AS long as the France family controls both NASCAR and International Speedway Corp there will ALWAYS be a conflict of interest. What if the family of the NFL commissioner owned half of the teams in the league? Would you expect there to be no conflict of interest?

Until either NASCAR or ISC operates independently of the France family, NASCAR will have no more integrity than Vince McMahon and the WWE.

And I say that with sorrow as a facing fan of more than 40 years. The France family could pull off this conflict when NASCAR was a small time regional attraction. But their success at promoting their sport has created an untenable situation that goes far beyond the current crisis at Talladega.

Not only did Texas not lose its date, they sued NASCAR to get rid of the "real" Southern 500, and the Grand Slam, to get another race. If Fontana can't sell in the Chase, give Darlington back a fall race. The Rebel 500 presented by GoDaddy.com is on the Rebel date, but add a fall Chase race to ensure a "US Open" course in the playoff.

As for Talladega, they have talked about a few things:

1. No Blocking - A rule used in the IRL especially after the wild crashes they've had at Texas caused by drafting incidents. Only one lane change per straight is possible. Anyone who attempts to pass and is blocked below the yellow line in an illegal block will be permitted to gain the position.

2. Bus Stops - There is a Bus Stop at the end of the Daytona backstretch. A bus stop could be marked at Talladega also. Watkins Glen uses the Bus Stop at the end of the backstretch there. Imagine the hard racing going into the Bus Stop in Turn 1 and the Bus Stop into Turn 3 at Talladega, and probably a chicane at Daytona that utilises Turn 6 of the road course. Penske built a bus stop at MIS for CART but officials declined to use it to slow the cars.

3. Wings. A road course-style multiple element wing that has a high angle of attack (80 degrees?) would be a good idea. Forcing severe drag on the cars at the section would slow them worse than they had with a spoiler. NASCAR could try them at the two road courses and plate tracks to see if they slow cars considerably at the plate tracks.

I am so sorry that was David's last Nascar writing. His death brings me great sorrow. I will miss you Ol' Friend ! You will always be one one the greatest Nascar writers to have ever lived. You were my statistics Hero !!

You were my favorite writers..you were honest, and never afraid to tell it like it is. I might not have agreed with what you have always said but your work was reliable and I hope to some day be half as good of a writer as you are. RIP DAVID..Prayers to your family...

Shocked:I loved to get under Pooles skin about NASCAR,hot dogs and liberals.He would always answer back with a spiffy comment and I would bust out laughing cause I knew I got too him.Man...no reason to check this web site out anymore.I'll truly miss you David.And I'll pray for you and your family.

Poolie, you will be sorely missed by this sport. You always let everyone know where you stood, and while I did not agree with you all the time, your comments were well reasoned and always made me think.

I will greatly miss listening to you every morning while driving to work. I loved listening to you and your comments/opinions. I was just listening to you this morning. I will be praying for your family and friends. You will be missed dearly my friend. God Bless.

I'll miss your love of Texas country music and your dramatic reads. I'll miss your voice of reason and, at times, dissension. Thanks for everything you did for the sport of NASCAR and for the profession of writing. You were the best.

"You big, goofy-eyed old buzzard..." I hope your new job as analyst for Pearly Gates Racing Network suits you well -- you'll get to do commentary on the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Tim Richmond, Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Neil Bonnett, Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, Lee Roy Yarbrough, the Flock bros, and quite a few others I don't have time or space to name.

Let us know if that kid Adam Petty gets to be as good up there as his grandaddy (and great-grandaddy) were down here.

Thi was the worst news I wantedt to hear today. I listen to NASCAR raadio on 128 daily while driving around in my UPS truck. While never knowing Davey Pens and Pencils, except to hear his voice and exchange the occassional email, I feel a great loss today. Other than these thoughts, I am without words.

My mornings will never be the same. As much he would make me mad....I would show up every morning and listen to more. He will be missed. I am going to go walking with my girls tonight. When a man like him is brought down...it makes me look inward to myself, my health, and if I make a diffrence every day. God bless David Poole......

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Poole family after such a tragic loss.

I listened to David every morning for years and strangely did not this morning, which is regretful. I first started reading David's articles on That's Racin.com back during my Jr. year in college (in 1999) and have followed him since. His passion and professionalism are something that will be irreplaceable, sorely missed, and today a void has been left in this sport.

RIP. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. I have often disagreed with Mr. Poole, but I always wanted to know what he thought. He was a very fine writer and I enjoyed his thoughts and talents, but to me his writings showed him to be an even better person. I'll remember him for what he tried to do for Wessa Miller and others.

Anonymous "NASCAR wouldn't put up with this if it were an SMI track..." Charlotte has been worse than Talladega the last two decades between lousy surfaces, the All-Star Race, "I needed a caution," and multicar crashes - with harder hits than Talladega produces. Yet NASCAR still races there.

This is tragic, and my heart goes out to Mr. Poole's family. We had a compliant not long ago with regard to how the driver's treat young children and despite all of our efforts to relay this information to NASCAR, LMS officials and team owners, no one responded. Except for David. He took the time to respond. I will cherish his letter, and I hope his family knows what a gift he was to the sport. He was one of us.

Rest in Peace, David, you are an icon of the people. It is with great respect that I will miss you on my "morning drive" to work every day. You had a way to entertain, whether I agreed or disagreed with you, you always made me think. My prayer to your family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Poole, You will never read this comment because as I was shocked and saddened to hear, you passed away today. I just want you to know that I agree with this article 100% and I had such great respect for you as a writer, and loved listening to you on NASCAR Sirius radio. God bless you and your family, and may you rest in peace. Mr. Poole, please keep an eye on the racers and fans from up there in heaven, and tell Dale Sr we sure do miss him.

This morning I sat in the car a little longer than usual to listen to David speak. I shut the car off, and the whole way into work, and throughout the day I thought about his words...and for once agreed. When I came back out to head home, I turned on Speedway, and at first... thought David quit...but then found out what I was trying not to think about.

I will miss your voice in the morning Mr. Poole, and my prayers are with your family and friends.

David,when I hear "man talons or man feet" I will think of you,when I hear "stand down marine" I will think of you and when I hear sugarland sing I will think of you,your voice had its own identity,even though I didn't agree with you on everything I respected your opinion,thank you for your passion and honesty about how you feel,you where a person who didn't sugarcoat the truth or how you felt,regardless if I agreed with you I knew where you stood on the issues.I wish I could say that things will get back to normal but it won't be normal anymore,just like the hole left by Dale Sr. David.... you can't be replaced.

David Poole was just one of the writers that I read on a regular basis, but he was usually the most passionate about the sport. While I may not have always agreed with everything he said, his columns usually got me to think in a different perspective. He was very knowledgeable about the sport and would have no problem explaining something to someone which was always nice to see. My condolences to his family and friends. R.I.P. David

We will miss you but you will be joining many to interview at The Pearly Gates. As I sit here typing this and crying...I didn't agree with everything you said but sure appreciated your knowledge of "our sport".Thanks Davis and RIP.

Just can't believe David has left us.I shed a tear for someone I never met but touched me by his voice...I will miss that voice and its' insight, opinions and love for racing.I sincerely wish his family knows he was also loved by the many fans, drivers and all those affilited with racing.It's a sad day for racing

Thanks to David and condolences to his family and friends. There can never be too many honest voices in any industry and I'll miss his. I hadn't heard the news until this comment string took that sudden turn at 2:50.

David, godspeed. I hope you are having a grand time in your new digs, catching up with Dale and Davy and Alan and Adam. Keep tabs on those plate races...and try and make sure that nothing goes awry from up there.

To the Poole Family,I want you to know how much my family and I have enjoyed reading your column over the years. I am so sorry that your precious grandson will miss time with his papaw. He responded personally to an email that I wrote him after the birth of this precious child. I will be praying for your family in the days to come. God Speed David Poole. Sincerely,Heather Egelston & Family

I am so sad this is the last blog I will ever get to read by David Poole. I was so saddened to day to hear of his passing, David will be missed. My heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife,children, grandchild, collages, and friends.

I was in the library at my college today when I was reading comments on a different site and someone had said Poole had died. I could not believe it and immediatly came here to see if this was true, thinking someone was just playing a cruel joke. After all, I had just read his latest blog this morning and even though I did not agree, I understood that something did need to be done in regards to the safety of the fans.

You were the only reason I have come to thatsracin.com in the past 7 years on a daily basis, mainly to check if you had any new postings and would read them as they were also very intriguing and wonderful. I now, don't know where I will go and wherever I do go, that writer will never have the talent or passion that you have displayed to NASCAR throughout your life.

You will be missed by all of your passionate readers who didn't comment and everyone else's lives that you have touched in a unique way.

Words cannot describe the feelings going through all the people who spent time with David whether in real life or over the air. It seems so surreal that just this morning I was listening to his strong opinions in regards to Talledega and now he is simply gone. David will be greatly missed by the Nascar community, the fans, and everyone he has come into contact with. My thoughts and Prayers go out to his family, friends and co-workers at Sirius. A special thought goes out to Eli whom I know was David's pride and joy.

First, I will miss David Poole. I respected him immensly, and will miss him equally so.

Second, I still disagree with you, DP. Plowing down the banks of 'Dega is overkill. Additional protection, built into the catch fence (which successfully performed it's function), or a secondary "flying debris" barrier, are more viable options.

May god be with you David amd your family. You loved your work, your family. You had a fling with a love for many years (NASCAR) Your mistriss was tollerated by your family due to your love for her (NASCAR). You gave your life to her, you gave your opinion to the world. Everybody will miss you, only yhe good die young and you were a young 50.

Very shocked and saddened to hear this news. I've been reading thatsracin.com since '99 and David was always here, so needless to say I've read countless articles that he wrote.

From time to time I'd email him regarding something about NASCAR or something in an article that he wrote. I've done that with other NASCAR writers as well from time to time, but I can HONESTLY say that David Poole was the ONLY one that replied back EVERY time.

My condolences to David's famly. You'll be missed David, may you R.I.P.

"Here's an idea Poole - why don't y ou track down the fans who got hurt and ask them if they would come to the next race. No, you wouldn't do that because you won't get the answer you want. YOU are the only one outraged here."

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About This Blog

David Poole is in his 13th season covering NASCAR for the Charlotte Observer. He also hosts "The Morning Drive" weekdays from 7 to 11 a.m. weekdays on Sirius NASCAR Radio. Poole is a four-time winner of the NMPA's George Cunningham Award as that organization's writer of the year. He was born in Gastonia, N.C., and now lives in Stanfield, N.C., near Charlotte -- and, more to the point, near his 2-year-old grandson, Eli.